Kharitonov (24-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) rebounded from a devastating 16-second knockout loss in his Bellator debut to shut down Gormley (14-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the first round with a massive KO at the 3:55 mark of the frame.

The heavyweight bout was part of the main card of Bellator 175, which took place at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago. The main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Gormley worked a kick early, then tried a right hand and baced away from one of Kharitonov’s rights. Kharitonov peppered a jab out there, but ate a stiff one from Gormley, too. Gormley tried a big right hand over the top that was just off the mark. When he put several jabs out there, Kharitonov nodded at him and asked him to keep coming forward. So Gormley did with jabs and solid rights, though Kharitonov stayed right with him.

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Kharitonov landed a big right, but then Gormley answered back with a kick to the body and a several punch combination that had Kharitonov rocked. Gormley couldn’t put him away, though, and the fight went back to the center. Kharitonov started landing and coming forward, and as Gormley’s face started to appear marked up from the leather, in a blink the fight was over. Kharitonov landed a right hand to the jaw, and a right uppercut put Gormley unconscious on the canvas.

“It was my strategy – to be disciplined,” Kharitonov said through a translator. “My next fight, I’ll risk it more. I really want to fight for the (vacant) title.”